Dear Julie,
Happy New Year!
Healthful Living wishes you
great health and happiness in 2007.
A great way to begin the year is to once again
ask...Are you healthful living? We
asked this BIG life question a year ago and find
that it really does help focus you on healthy ways.
Improving the condition of all life begins with each
person, bit by bit, embracing healthful ways of
being and
sharing their consciousness with others.
What role will you play this year in Earth's
collective co-creation? What can you do, what will
you shift, how can you contribute and nourish the
future for us all? How will you
be healthful living in 2007?
Julie and
Martin
Try a Cooking Buddy! by Julie Matthews |
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Integrating healthy foods into your life can be
easier - try cooking with a buddy!
My friend, Carla Borelli (http://LocalForage.com),
and I usually get together once a month on a
Saturday. We choose two items to cook together -
something we’ve made before and one new dish. We
get to the San Francisco Farmers’ Market early since
certain vendors sell out of special items by 8:15 or
8:30am. If we’ve planned ahead, we’ll pick up the
special orders we placed a few days earlier.
Sometimes we’ll spend the whole day experimenting
with foods and dishes we’ve never made or eaten
before. We spend most of the day cooking and
socializing while together we get excited and
inspired preparing healthy dishes for the coming
week or two.
Here are some major reasons to connect with a
Cooking Buddy!
Healthy mid-week meals: Cooking Buddy day
can take 2-3 hours for shopping and 4-6 hours of
cooking, which yields me 14 or more dishes (that I
use for lunch or dinner) to augment my mid week
meals. When time is limited, we can condense it to 4
or 5 hours total. Getting together every 2 weeks
would be ideal for us; however, since we’re busy
once a month works out best. On other weekends I’ll
make a soup or stew to tied me over until our next
cooking marathon.
Faster preparation and clean up: Teamwork
pays. With two people preparation and clean up goes
twice as fast. Cooking is faster too! Even though
you’re making twice as much food, it only takes a
little longer to wash or chop the extra. One person
can be washing, while the other is chopping, or
working on other parts of the dish.
Learning and building confidence. Together,
we’ve discovered many foods that used to be strange
(pork stomach fat, stock chickens with the heads and
feet on) or scary (raw milk and homemade
mayonnaise). Having a cooking buddy has allowed each
of us become more adventurous and willing try new
things. Originally, I thought leaving raw eggs on
my counter to PURPOSELY innoculate and grow (good)
bacteria in the process of making homemade
mayonnaise was crazy (if not dangerous). I learned
this from a cooking class by Sandrine Hahn. The
good lactobacillus bacteria ferments it and helps
naturally preserve the mayonnaise. Once I saw
someone make it and learned that people safely
consume it, and why, I was forever comfortable with
this (and many related) ideas. Additionally: The
instructor in a cooking class can be a type of
“cooking buddy.” Although they don’t come to your
home on an ongoing basis, a cooking class can
catapult your cooking capability forward by
providing you confidence through seeing others do it
first and by learning new things to increase your
repetoire, skill, and confidence. This is why I
began teaching cooking classes people get excited,
empowered, and inspired to cook because of the new
things they learn.
Faster skill and technique building. Often,
Carla or I will try something different. We may
prepare our stew together, but cook them in our
respective crock pots. We’ll often use some
different ingredients or cook at different
temperature or different time or something. This
way we can compare notes on the impact of this or
that ingredient or technique on the taste, texture,
or cooking time.
Cooking for One? Hard to motivate sometimes?
Cooking with a friend generates the positive feeling
of sharing a cooking experience with someone. While
you‘ll eat the meals alone during the week, you’ll
be able to touch base later and share your
experiences of the meal. You also may choose to eat
dinner together the night of the cooking marathon.
There’s something wonderful about good food, and
like a good view, it’s always nice to share the
experience with someone how about your cooking buddy!
Cooking Buddies are great. Together, Carla and I
have made dishes ranging from lamb stew and meat
loaf to sauerkraut and homemade pasta.
Having a cooking buddy has helped me actually
COOK , TASTE, and ENJOY many foods and dishes that
I’ve thought about for a long time, but hadn’t
gotten singularly motivated to do. I recommend this
to everyone, just like an exercise buddy, a cooking
buddy helps make being healthy fun and that’s
always a good thing!
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My Take on Traditional Foods by Martin Matthews |
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I am a lifelong picky eater. I’ve always scrutinized
the contents, preparation, smell, taste, and
healthfulness of whatever was presented to me to
eat. As such, I’ve never developed an affinity to a
particular “type” of foods, until recently. I love
traditional foods.
Traditional foods contain only healthy ingredients
and are prepared in the time honored customary ways
of our ancestors. They do not require chemical
additives to make them palatable.
In today’s world of fast paced low quality food
production with every meal available by defrost;
just the notion of “traditional” foods is welcoming.
I like the idea of an entire category of food that
is meant to be nourishing to the body after all,
isn’t that what food is supposed to do? Nourish AND
taste good.
I remember the aroma in my grandma’s kitchen and she
hurried about, measuring things, chopping, and
simmering. It seemed that everything grandma
prepared was infused with an extra dash of love. She
had recipes on faded paper and would tell stories
about how her mother used to make the same dish
“years ago.” When grandma was cooking, you knew the
meal would taste great and be healthy too!
And it’s this good feeling that I have whenever I
prepare a Traditional dish, or go to celebration
where traditional foods are the menu I know that I
can eat most everything there. Whether it’s a soaked
grain dish with spices and herbs, or fermented
foods like raw sauerkraut, homemade yogurt, or
kombucha. Whenever I eat fermented foods I’m
reminded of their probiotic qualities and how this
nourishment serves my health and well being. There
is nothing more powerful for sustaining healthy ways
of being than DOING healthy things, and nothing
under my control could be more consistently
paramount to the functioning of my body than the
foods I choose to put inside it.
Welcoming traditional foods into my diet was
naturally aligned with my overall health focused
orientation. It’s as if I’ve always known, or
perhaps that my BODY has always known, that these
foods, this way of thinking about food, is
inherently human. As you further seek out and
discover what healthful living is for you, you may
wish to explore traditional foods. A few places to
begin are: Sally Fallon’s wonderful cookbook,
Nourishing
Traditions (hear interviews with Sally on
our
radio show); the principles and practices of the
Weston A.
Price Foundation (there is a San
Francisco Chapter); and of course Healthful Living’s
Foundations
of Traditional Foods cooking classes.
Please share your learning experiences with us. Enjoy!
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Sugar Substitutes by Carla Borelli |
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The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans recommends no more than 8 teaspoons per
day of added sugar based on a 2,000 calorie/day
diet. That's 32 grams if you're reading labels. 8
teaspoons x 4 grams per teaspoon = 32 total grams
sugar.
Let's calibrate: With 40 grams in a can, a single
Coke provides 10 teaspoons of sugar. A single Mrs.
Fields Milk Chocolate & Walnuts cookie has six
teaspoons of sugar. A bottle of Odwalla Berries
GoMega Juice has 12 teaspoons of sugar. Brown Cow
Blueberry Yogurt has over 8 teaspoons of sugar.
The USDA web site says that the United States is the
largest consumer of sweeteners, including high
fructose corn syrup. In Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael
Pollan says, "Since 1985 our consumption of all
added sugars—cane, beet, HFCS, glucose, honey, maple
syrup, whatever—has climbed from 128 pounds to 158
pounds per person." There is no doubt that we have a
major, major problem with sugar consumption in this
country.
Of all the industrial foods, I regard sugar as the
most villainous. Eating sugar depletes B vitamins
(which leads to premenstrual symptoms and
depression, my sisters), promotes Candida albicans,
bone loss and tooth decay*. Then of course there is
obesity, diabetes and heart disease since sugar
raises blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol.
With that said, it's almost impossible for me to
completely avoid added sugar in my diet. Life just
wouldn't be worth living without the occasional
taste of sweetness. For me, it's about sparing use.
I buy plain, no-sugar-added yogurt and flavor it
with a very small amount of maple syrup, for
example. When sugar is necessary, I believe in using
the ones which have at least some redeeming
qualities (unlike white table sugar which has none).
Here are four of my favorite sugar substitutes:
Stevia. To do it justice, I really need to
devote an entire post on the subject of stevia.
Stevia rebaudiana is a South American sweet
leaf with a fascinating history. In short, it has
been used as a natural sweetener in South America
for over 1500 years. It's totally non-caloric and
the extract is about 300 times sweeter than sugar.
Research shows that stevia can actually regulate
blood sugar. In South America, stevia is sold as an
aid to people with diabetes and hypoglycemia. It's
available in liquid, tablet or powder form but is
not labeled as a sweetener.
Due to major political subterfuge, in 1991 the
United States Food and Drug Administration labeled
stevia as an "unsafe food additive" and restricted
its import. Stevia remained banned until after the
1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act
forced the FDA to revise its stance to permit stevia
to be used as a dietary supplement. It could be
advertised and sold as a supplement but not as a
food additive. (I know this makes no sense and I'm
sure you smell a rat like I did. So stay tuned for a
separate post on stevia.)
I use stevia in coffee and tea and in whipping cream.
Conversion to sugar: See this page for detailed
answer.
Raw Honey. Honey that hasn't been heated over
117 degrees is loaded with enzymes that digest carbs
(amylases) as well as all the nutrients found in
plant pollens. If you use it for oatmeal or toast,
the amylases help digest grains. Buy honey labeled
"raw" and use it in desserts that don't require
heating. But moms please note: raw honey should not
be given to infants as they lack sufficient stomach
acid to deactivate bacteria spores.
Conversion: 1/2 cup honey = 1 cup sugar. Reduce
liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup.
Rapadura. Rapadura is the commercial name for
dehydrated cane sugar juice, which the people of
India have used for thousands of years. It is rich
in minerals, particularly silica and iron. Rapadura
has a great flavor and closely mimics sugar in
chemical properties. It gives good results in
cookies and cakes but be careful not to overdo as
Rapadura is still a concentrated sweetener. Use
carefully if you have sugar balance problems.
Conversion: 1 cup Rapadura = 1 cup sugar
Maple syrup. Maple syrup is concentrated from the
sap of sugar maple trees. True pure maple syrup is
expensive because it takes 30 to 40 gallons of sap
to make one gallon of syrup. It's rich in trace
minerals manganese and zinc, brought up from below
ground by the tree's deep roots. Unfortunately
formaldehyde is used in the production of most
commercial maple syrup so check your sources. Also
check to make sure that corn syrup hasn't been
added. And get the less refined grade B for richer
flavor. I like maple syrup on yogurt, cream-based
desserts and baked goods.
Conversion: 1/2 to 2/3 cup maple syrup = 1 cup
sugar. Reduce liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup.
*However, it doesn't promote tooth decay for the
reason you might think. Sugar upsets the balance of
calcium and phosphorus, which causes teeth to rot
from the inside out.
Carla Borelli is a contributor to the
Healthful Living Advocate - Please visit her
site at Local Forage.com.
|
Fermented Foods Fervor by Julie Matthews |
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Fermented Foods are naturally cultured, a process
through which healthy bacteria grow over periods of
time. Good bacteria is essential for proper
digestion and it’s this healthy bacteria that work
in harmony with our bodily systems and help support
our overall heath.
Among the naturally fermented foods are: Yogurt,
Kefir, Kombucha, Raw sauerkraut and cultured
vegetables, Crème fraiche, Rejuvelac, Beet kvass,
and more.
Most of these are sour, so they require getting if
your tastes are over accustomed to sweet (as in many
American diets). The good bacteria increases
nutrient content, supplies good bacteria for the
digestive tract, and even preserves the food. People
are often squeamish about, or mystified by,
fermented foods because we’ve been conditioned to
think that bacteria (any bacteria) is bad.
- Make vitamins that our bodies need and
utilize
- Produce essential fatty acids
- Digest lactose
- Regulate peristalsis and bowel movements
- Digest protein into amino acids (for use by
the body)
- Help infants establish good digestion,
preventing colic, diaper rash and gas
- Produce antibiotics and antifungals with
prevent colonization and growth of bad bacteria and
yeast/fungus
- Support the immune system and increase the
number of immune cells
- Balance intestinal pH
- Break down bacterial toxins
- Have antitumor and anticancer effects
- Protect us against environmental toxins
- Break down bile acids
- Helps normalize serum cholesterol and
triglycerides
- Break down and rebuild hormones
- Promote healthy metabolism
- (from Liz Lipski’s, Digestive Wellness - Listen to
Liz on our upcoming Reality Sandwich show on January
25th)
Good bacteria are helpful to virtually every system
of the body: digestive, hormonal, detoxification,
cardiovascular, and immune.
Fermented
Foods and Candida: There is some confusion about
whether fermented foods should be consumed when
experiencing Candida (a type of problematic yeast).
Vinegar ferments (not live fermentations and not
recommended by me) such as commercial pickles,
pasteurized sauerkraut, and others are not good when
you have candida. Live lactobacillus ferments, on
the other hand, have many beneficial properties.
Healthy bacteria is good for reducing Candida
because they help make your inner terrain
inhospitable for the yeast. Further, natural
ferments with yeast cultures like kefir and kombucha
are particularly good at getting rid of candida, as
these yeasts kill other yeasts, specifically
Candida. However, there is something to be aware of
with fermented foods. In Traditional Chinese
Medicine and Ayurveda (as my acupuncture and
ayurvedic friends tell me), candida is a condition
of dampness and exacerbated by cold, damp foods such
as fermented foods. Because of this, I’ve
discovered it’s best if you have a candida
overgrowth to add warming spices to your fermented
foods I suggest cinnamon added to yogurt, ginger
to kombucha, and ginger or cayenne to sauerkraut.
Some people do better with small amounts of
fermented foods, while others thrive on larger
amounts - so the type and amount YOU consume will
differ from others. I find, once people become
familiar and begin to enjoy eating fermented foods,
those that need more tend to crave more. So go with
your intuition and eat as much as you like.
Learn to make fermented foods in our upcoming fermented foods class.
|
Breathe and Relax by Martin Matthews |
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For the sake of our collective well being, please
remember to breathe and relax. Simply bringing
awareness to these related processes, often and
consistently, will greatly improve the quality of
your 2007.
We are constantly being “grabbed” by events outside
of our control that, when they occur, trigger a
complete take over of our entire being. You could be
calmly drinking your morning coffee/tea when a
certain headline catches your eye, and before you
know it you’re irate, disjointed, upset, and
on the way to fury. This is a "grab."
Something outside you interfered with your existence
and changed your state in a given moment. This
happens all the time.
The baby spitting up on your tie, the phone ringing
when your hands are full, the printer getting
jammed, your latte being under foamed, the look from
the person preparing your latte. Grab grab grab grab
grab!
Breathe and Relax.
When we’re grabbed from the outside like this, our
body (being the intelligent organism that it is)
automatically goes into alert mode by tensing up and
protecting - it stresses. In this state (physical
and/or emotional condition), stress, dis-ease
(emotional and physical) can flourish. Just look
around at our high fear, fast paced, Starbucks
fueled, pharmaceutical popping, health epidemic
(obesity, autism, depression, etc.) suffering
society for the evidence. Even though most grabs
are short lived, our bodies remain “on alert” for
some time we must learn to “reset” ourselves.
Stress management/reduction and the building of
broader toolsets for overall holistic health and
wellness are topics we address at healthful living
(and discuss here in The Advocate and on Reality
Sandwich), however this article is intended to
remind your consciousness the importance and
practice of breathe and relax. No matter what the
circumstance that grabs you, your easiest and best
“first aid” is to breathe stop in the moment and
put your complete attention on taking a full breath
of air. You will experience a transformation of state.
Your breath, your direct connection to life-force is
what’s initially inhibited when a grab occurs. The
immediate “antidote” is your own intervention into
the ensuing process of stress by shifting your
attention to taking a breath. Try it. Just by
reading this article you can begin to train your
mind to readily remember that when a grab occurs,
you will stop and breath. The “relax” part is
connected to the breath. When your body receives a
full breath, it responds accordingly by relaxing
or reducing the overall level of stress your system
is experiencing. It’s like an immediate shift from
“red alert,” back to more appropriate and management
levels.
Stress will always find you, but you have to seek
out relaxation. Training ourselves to stop and
breath (even just a single deep breath) when grabbed
is a key component to allowing our bodies and minds
to thrive. As a Hypnotherapist, this is
where our
mind/body work begins, empowering the mind to heal
the body and bolstering our resilience to life’s
stressors is paramount to our individual and
collective well being.
Try it the next ten times you are grabbed. Perhaps
put a sticky note in your pocket with the word
“breath” written ten times. Just notice grabs over
the next day or so - catch yourself and check each
iteration off your list. Notice the responsiveness
of your body. It may seem simple or silly at first,
but I assure you that before long you will shift
what occurs inside when you are grabbed. To be
sure, this topic could be covered in volumes of
text, but for now, and for everyone’s sake, breathe
and relax.
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What is Teen Whispering? by Kyra Bobinet, M.D. |
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We're pleased to introduce you to Kyra's heartfelt
work with today's teens and families. Hear her on
Reality Sandwich this February
2nd - Martin & Julie
1) "I hate you! Burn in Hell!"
2) "I don'’t care--—whatever."
3) Eye-rolling
4) Silent treatment
5) Snickering at you or behind your back
6) "#%&! %#*"
Which of these communications is a part of your
relationship with teenagers? And how do you respond?
Do you respond the same way as those who raised you?
When I was a teenager, my family yelled. We yelled
across the house to announce a phone call. We
escalated to yelling in order to win an argument. We
yelled cruel and demoralizing things when we lost
our temper--things we didn'’t mean--but later
regretted. Many families have operated this way. And
it hurts.
But times are changing. I don’t spank my daughters
like I was spanked as a kid. Some shift in paradigm
occurred between the 70’s when I was getting
spanking red buttocks and the 90's when I found
myself steadfast next to a tiny "time-out" chair
containing my 3 year-old hissy fittin' daughter.
Perhaps adults are motivated now that media and peer
groups have taken over their teen's development on
so many fronts. Or, maybe the same adult-driven
ground-swell of respect, love, and non-violence that
created the time-out has started to explore how we
can better relate to teenagers. Regardless, it has
become clear to me that adults today want to
overcome the communication divides of technology,
generation gaps, and a rapidly changing world. They
want healthy, supportive relationships with teens.
Teen Whispering speaks "teen". No, I do NOT mean
adults should try-on the latest slang--—I think we
all remember THOSE adults from when we were younger.
What I DO mean is that Teen Whispering is
communication that respects and caters to the
profile of adolescent development.
An effective commercial is tailored to the interests
and common experiences of its target audience.
Likewise, Teen Whispering profiles and speaks to the
adolescent experience. Instead of manipulating
behavior as commercials do, Teen Whispering builds
honor and respect for both teen and adult.
Teen Whispering follows four basic principles that I
call the WSPR test. W is for "win-win", as opposed
to win-lose, as an approach. S stands for "speaks
teen”. This means that what is said resonates with
the perspective of the teen. P stands for "profile
anatomy"--—a term I use to refer to the
characteristics and developmental themes that are
active during a specific stage of life. Profile
anatomy tests the communication for the
developmental age of who we are in that moment (e.g.
has the adult regressed such that, in effect, there
are now two teenagers arguing instead of an adult
and a teen?). Finally, R is for "respect of needs”.
This may be the most critical test for good
communication--most people intuit this. However,
confusion happens easily because we are confused
about what "respect" and “needs" really mean. Teen
Whispering offers clarity by showing how and in what
ways adults and teens need and respect differently.
The essence of Teen Whispering lies in applying
reliable information from human development and
behavior patterns. It is the "emotional
intelligence" of being with teens. We will explore
this together through this blog--—and hopefully make
a difference for families and professionals. I look
forward to joining with you in forging a paradigm
shift toward improving how we, as a society, treat
teenagers--and ultimately ourselves.
Read more at TeenWhispering.com
The essence of Teen Whispering lies in applying
reliable information from human development and
behavior patterns. It is the "emotional
intelligence" of being with teens. We will explore
this together through this blog--—and hopefully make
a difference for families and professionals. I look
forward to joining with you in forging a paradigm
shift toward improving how we, as a society, treat
teenagers--and ultimately ourselves.
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ANNOUNCING: Julie Matthews to speak at two autism conferences and begins new show on Autism One Radio. |
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Julie Matthews, Certified
Nutrition Consultant with
Healthful Living, will present at the 2007 Defeat Autism Now
(DAN!) national conference in Washington
D.C. this April. Julie has been a DAN! practitioner
helping
parents and children with autism for over five
years. She will be speaking on Nutrition Foundations
for Autistic Spectrum Disorders and introducing the
benefits of
Traditional Foods for those with ASDs.
Julie will also be speaking and doing a cooking
demonstration at the Autism One Conference in
Chicago in May. She'll be combining her experience
with ASD diets with practical hands-on learning and
application of Traditional Healing foods.
This month Julie joins Autism One Radio, which
presents interviews and insights from top
researchers and practioners and varied topics
related to autism recovery. Julie's show, titled
after her book Nourishing Hope, will focus on
aspects of nutritional intervention and aim to aid
parents in applying information in "doable" ways.
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Healthful Living seeks modest benefactor |
|
As Healthful Living nurtures its seeds of growth, we
welcome resources from abundant souls who share an
affinity for holisitic health and healing, healthy
babies and moms, and the co-creation of a
healthful living community.
Our Nourish The Future (Nutrition
for Pregnancy) and Nourishing Hope (Nutrition
intervention for Autism) campaigns aim to empower
moms to optimize the health of babies and for
families with
autism to better navigate dietary interventions to
help their children recover.
Resources could serve to further current book
projects, research assistance, marketing intiatives,
community education, and more.
Please contact
us to explore and learn more.
Healthful
Living is a recapturing of innately human conscious
ways of being that nourish the future. Our holistic
model encourages living that supports the
flourishing and sustainability of all living things
and systems. Read more here.
|
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Healthful Living On The Air! |
|
Healthful Living's radio show, Reality
Sandwich
airs
Thursday's @ Noon on 89.5 FM in San Francisco, or
online at
KPOO.com
Upcoming Shows
font>
January 18th
Jane Hersey, Author & Researcher http://www.Feingold.org
Offending Foods: The links
between diet and violence.
January 25th
Liz Lipski, Ph.D., Clinical Nutritionist
Digestive Wellness for
Children
February 1st
Kyra Bobinet, MD
TeenWhispering.com
Human development experts speaks on the dynamics
of adolescent and adult relations.
February 8th
Michele Simon, JD MPH Public health lawyer
discusses her new book Appetite for Profit
February 15th
HOLISTIC AUTISM PANEL David
Traver, M.D.
Elisa Song, M.D.
Julie
Matthews, NC.
Free downloads of our past shows at RealitySandwichRadio.com
Some Recent Topics....
• Inner tools for Handling Change
• Embracing a New Paradigm
• Soulmate Relationships
• Heart Health
• The Consumeritis Epidemic
• Divine Love Making
• Optimal Health for Longevity
• Local Forage: Finding Good Food
• Holistic Dental Health
• Nuclear Power is Not the Answer
• Food Additives and Kids
• 20-hour ADD Solution
• Natural Childbirth
• Heart & Soul of Sex
• Nonviolent Communication
• The Safety of Fish
• Benefits of Raw Dairy
• Nourishing Traditions Diets
• Socially Conscious Investment
• Constitutional Basics
• and much more
UPCOMING
CLASSES
Foundations of Traditional
Foods: Recipe for a Healthy Family Saturday,
February 17th Saturday, April 14th
Cooking
for Baby! Saturday, February 24th Saturday,
March 31st
Traditional Healing Foods for
Children on the Austistic Spectrum including
ADHD Saturday, March
17th
NUTRITION FOR
PREGNANCY Beginning in
February Beginning in March
Listen to
the Course
Overview
Interview with
Harrison Sheppard
Interview with
Dr. Mitra Ray
Are you, or someone you
know, planning to have a baby???
Interview with
Dr. Helen Caldicott
Are you healthful living
in each area of the model? What is healthful living
for you?
Some friends of Healthful
Living
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